Seeing You One Last Time
by white pedal
Summary: Takes place before Duelist king where the doctor tells Serenity that the time has come, and she sends Joey a video tape saying she wants to see him for the last time, as well as say goodbye when her disease finally takes her life.


_**An emotional Serenity oneshot.**_

* * *

"Miss. Wheeler, we have some bad news."

Serenity turned her attention away from the view of the hospital gardens outside the window. She was dressed in pink flannel pajama's and was in bed, her Auburn hair shinning from the sunlight entering through the window with large innocent olive eyes that looked to the doctor and nurse that were standing by her bed side. The doctor had graying black hair and glasses and a white coat carrying a clip board, the nurse had short red hair and was wearing a pink nurse uniform with a worried expression on her face.

Serenity blinked and was worried, "What is it, doctor?" Serenity asked.

Serenity had been in the hospital for about a week and today her mother had to work overtime at her job at another hospital downtown as a nurse. Serenity was being observed for her eyes and doctors were trying to figure out what disease she had that was causing her bad eyesight that she had since birth. No one could figure it out as she went under observation for years, some said it could be glaucoma, others degeneration, but it didn't matter to Serenity because she never saw well in her entire life.

And she doesn't expect to either.

The doctor fixed his glasses,"We finished your test results...and I'm afraid...the time has come." the doctor explained.

Serenity couldn't say anything, but her eyes widen, while she was preparing herself for this for a long time, it still terrified her. It was finally happening, she was about to lose her sight, "...It is!?" she said quietly with a hint of fear in her voice.

"When we ran the tests and they came back positive, your sight is already getting worse, and if nothing is done soon...you will lose your sight permanently."

Serenity looked at the doctor with a sigh, "...Alright doctor...I understand. I knew this would come about eventually, I'm prepared for it."

There was sadness in Serenity's voice, she always feared of going blind since she was little when she understood the gravity of her situation. The thought of seeing nothing but complete darkness for the rest of her life made her fearful every single day, no longer able to see the blue sky, the sun, flowers, the moon and night sky, Serenity tried not to tear up thinking about it.

The doctor gave her a sad expression, "...It's even worse than that, miss Wheeler."

Worse? How could it get any worse? she was already losing her sight, "What do you mean by worse?"she asked.

"...We finally found out what your disease is, it's neither glaucoma or degeneration."

Serenity's heart began to race from fear, "What is it?"

The doctor lowered his head a bit, "...You have Retinoblastoma."

"Retinobalstoma?" She asked in confusion.

"...It's a rare form of cancer that effects the eyes."

Serenity was officially horrified, "...You mean...I have cancer...but how!? They did tests on me since I was born! How could they have missed this!?"

The doctor readjusted his glasses, "Retinoblastoma is often found in babies and children and it is a rare form of cancer. Often times it can be difficult to detect since it's a genetic trait, and you are one of the rare three percent that has been diagnosed at age fourteen. You had poor vision since birth that was like glaucoma and degeneration and no one knew why, and we did background checks on your family history and since neither of your parents sides had the disease we concluded that you have the none hereditary version of this disease, which explains why the doctors that checked you when you were a child couldn't figure out the cause of your poor sight."

"But when we ran some tests on you again today, and we discovered in an X-ray we took of you that there was a small tumor in your left eye that was starting to grow, not a lot but slowly. That's how we were able to finally discover what was causing your bad eyesight all these years."

"But I'm still about to go blind!" Serenity suddenly snapped, "And to top it off I have a tumor in my eye that I didn't know I had for all these years that's about to grow! All these years people told me I was going to go blind and now you're telling me I have a disease that will not only make me go blind but will also make me have cancer to!?"

The doctor and nurse were shocked by Serenity's outburst. The doctor usually saw Serenity as a sweet, gentle and quiet young girl, so to see her with that much anger and had the outburst that she had was a shock to him.

Serenity realized what she did and looked down in shame, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know what came over me."

The doctor had a sad frown, "I understand...you have every right to be angry right now."

"...So what's going to happen to me?"

"...The tumor will eventually grow, and if nothing is done it will damage your left eye and you will lose your sight. And if nothing is done by the time tumor blinds you it will rapidly spread to your brain and then..."

Serenity frowned, she knew what he was talking about, "...I understand."

The doctor nodded, "There is an operation where the doctors can destroy the tumor and save and repair your sight before the tumor can grow any bigger and cause any damage. Luckily for you the tumor is still very tiny so if you get it sooner there is hope to save your sight and improve your vision and prevent the cancer from spreading."

Serenity fell silent.

"But if you get it too late, there is a chance you will lose your eyesight, and if we really are too late for the procedure there is a chance the tumor will spread to your brain..and when that happens..."

Serenity looked down as fear, anger and sadness filled her mind. All her life she knew she had bad eyesight and knew she might go blind, but now she got even worse news, if she doesn't get the surgery she will not only lose her eyesight, there was a chance that she will die soon."

Everything was a mess, all of it was a mess, like it always had been since the day she was born. First she was born with bad eyesight, and to add insult to injury she was born to young parents who were already struggling, her mother was a high school drop out and her father was still in University. Due to her medical needs her father had to keep paying for her doctors appointments with his tuition money, it gotten to the point where taking care of Serenity made her father flunk out of University and he lost his chances to work for Kaibacorp and began drinking to cope with his disappointment. Her parents constantly fought afterwards and the doctors appointments became more expensive as her father began to gamble away their money, and he started to hit Serenity and yelling at her saying he wished she was never born.

Serenity started to feel immense guilt wash over her, for being born with bad eyesight, causing her parents to fight all the time to the point where decided to get a divorce, and for causing her older brother to be the one to take care of her and protect her from their father.

Big brother...

She hadn't seen in over six years ever since their parents divorce and her mother took her to live with her. Her mother forbid Serenity to have any contact with Joey because Lynn didn't want Jordan to know where they lived. Her mother still had bitter feelings towards her ex husband for his alcoholism, while Serenity was away from her violent father and her mother is keeping her in the hospital, Serenity actually held resentment towards her mother for leaving Joey behind but was too shy to tell her mother how she felt. But everyday Serenity missed Joey and their last moments together made it more painful for her and she worried about him being in their father's clutches, of course that didn't stop her from writing him letters and sending him pictures of herself so he knows what she looks like as she grew and he did the same and Serenity hide her letters and pictures of Joey from their mother in their house so she wouldn't know the siblings were still in contact.

"..How long until it happens?" Serenity asks.

"...It will happen within a few months. By then the tumor will be too big and we will probably have to remove your eye."

"And when the tumor spreads?"

"...It will spread to your brain and by then it will be too late, while we can do chemo therapy once it spreads in the brain it will get dangerous, you'll probably need years of chemo therapy, radiation or probably surgery to try and stop the tumor from causing anymore damage."

"But if you get the operation in time you have a chance to get out of this with your sight intact and avoid getting cancer from the tumor and remain healthy, of course the operation will cost a lot and we understand your mother has some financial issues with getting you treatment."

For years her mother worked while Serenity was in the hospital. As each check up and test Serenity got every year, the cost started to rise and Mrs. Wheeler had to work extra hours to make sure Serenity could stay in the hospital. Now that Serenity knows the horrible truth of her disease and what will happen to her the financial burden will increase and her mother will have to support a blind daughter with cancer and pay for more treatments.

...No...not anymore, Serenity did not want to live like this anymore and she doesn't want her mom to suffer financially anymore. While she held some bitter feelings towards her, Serenity loved her and she doesn't want her mother to support a child that's on the verge of dying and have to give up her own life for her. While her mom will be against this and state she's too young to make this choice, Serenity was going to be clear on it. Because at this point and in their position, her life is over.

Serenity would look at him, "...That won't be necessary...if I don't get the surgery and if I do get cancer as a result, I don't want any life support what so ever."

The doctor and nurse were stunned, "What!? Miss Wheeler you can't be serious! that is-"

"There is no other option," Serenity stated, "My mother can barely afford my stay in the hospital, paying for chemo therapy and other treatments will be difficult. She had to pay for my doctors appointments and this will not only be a burden on me but a burden on her and everyone else here. We won't be able to afford it so I choose to withhold life support if the tumor does spread. I may be a minor but I'll be dying, like you said when it spreads to my brain it'll get dangerous and there will be no way of saving me no matter how much treatment I get,"Serenity then smiled at them, "besides, I'll be blind..and when I'm gone I won't have to worry about it anymore, and mom can stop paying the hospital and focus on getting back on her feet financially. She won't have to worry about me anymore, and I won't have to be afraid or be in pain by then...it'll finally be over."

The doctor was still stunned, "...Miss Wheeler."

She looked at him, "But there is one thing I would like to ask you..."

The doctor blinked, "What's that?"

"...Do you have a video camera?"

* * *

The nurse was helping Serenity set up the camera, Serenity sat on her bed trying to look cheerful so when Joey receives her tape it will be less painful. The doctor was outside the room making a call to Serenity's mother about the test result, Serenity believes that when the doctor tells Lynn the news she will break down in tears on the other line.

"Alright Serenity, it's about to turn on," The nurse said.

Serenity started getting herself together and trying not to get emotional, soon the light turned green and Serenity had a big smile on her face.

"Hey there, big brother, how have you been? I really miss you," Serenity said as happily as possible and giggled, "I can't believe it's been six years since we've seen each other, I'll never forget the day mom took me to live with her."

Serenity started to remember the day her mother took her away, and she was crying for Joey as he chased the car crying for her. It made Serenity a bit angry inside and her resentment for her mother was about to rise but kept herself under control. After all her mother did pay for her to be in the hospital and was there for her.

"I'm sending you this video just so you don't forget your little sister's face...it seems that I'm running out of time," Serenity started to feel sad and tearing up, "I was hoping to see you once more...before...well umm you understand, bye bye brother."

She knew Joey was going to react badly to this. Joey always worried about her well being and her sight, in the video he'll know her sight is starting to fade away, but when they see each other again he will find out. She will not only see him for the last time with her sight, their meeting in person after six years of being apart will literally be the last time they will see each other ever, for when she loses her sight the tumor will spread, and soon she will leave this world and Joey will lose his little sister for good. But before that happens she wants to be able to see him and make up for lost time, she hopes that they will go to the beach they went to as kids before they were separated.

Serenity also hopes Joey and their mother will reconcile with each other, since Serenity will lose her sight and will end up dying they will need each other as Joey will be their mother's only child left. Her father she's not sure, maybe he will forgive Serenity and come to the funeral if Joey and their mother let him, maybe her death will help the family merge back together and heal and they won't have to be burdened anymore because of her.

But until then, all she wanted was her brother to make her last moments of sight and life worth while.

"So long, take care Joey...never forget me."

* * *

_**The End**_


End file.
